Coin discrimination apparatus and method

A method for separating acceptable coins from unacceptable coins in a coin counting machine, the method comprising:

• moving a first coin along a coin path;
• sensing a characteristic of the first coin to determine if the first coin is an acceptable coin or an unacceptable coin;
• moving a second coin along the coin path;
• measuring a gap between the first coin and the second coin relative to the coin path to determine if the gap is an acceptable gap or an unacceptable gap;
• when the first coin is determined to be an acceptable coin and the measured gap is determined to be an acceptable gap, actuating a coin mover positioned adjacent to the coin path to cause the first coin to move off of the coin path;
• and
• when the first coin is determined to be an acceptable coin and the measured gap is determined to be an unacceptable gap, allowing the first coin to proceed along the coin path.

A method for separating acceptable coins from unacceptable coins in a coin counting machine, the method comprising:

• moving a first coin along a coin path;
• sensing the first coin with a coin sensor positioned adjacent to the coin path to determine if the coin is an acceptable coin or an unacceptable coin;
• moving a second coin along the coin path;
• measuring a gap between the first coin and the second coin relative to the coin path to determine if the gap is an acceptable gap or an unacceptable gap;
• and
• when the first coin is determined to be an acceptable coin and the measured gap is determined to be an acceptable gap, selecting the first coin for collection by the coin counting machine;
• and
• when the first coin is determined to be an acceptable coin and the measured gap is determined to be an unacceptable gap, rejecting the first coin for collection by the coin counting machine.

A method in a coin counting machine for separating coins received from a user into acceptable coins and unacceptable coins, the method comprising:

• moving a first coin along a coin path;
• moving a second coin along the coin path;
• measuring a gap between the first coin and the second coin relative to the coin path to determine if the gap is an acceptable gap or an unacceptable gap;
• and
• when the measured gap is determined to be an unacceptable gap, returning the first coin to the user.

A method for selecting coins in a coin counting machine, the coin counting machine including a coin sensor and a coin mover, the coin sensor and the coin mover being positioned adjacent to a coin path and being spaced apart to define a distance between the coin sensor and the coin mover, the method comprising:

• moving a coin along the coin path relative to the coin sensor;
• as the coin moves relative to the coin sensor, measuring the velocity of the moving coin, the acceleration of the moving coin, or both the velocity and the acceleration of the moving coin;
• and
• based on the distance between the coin sensor and the coin mover and the measured velocity of the moving coin, the measured acceleration of the moving coin, or both the measured velocity and the measured acceleration of the moving coin, determining when to actuate the coin mover causing the coin mover to move the coin.

A system for processing a plurality of coins received from a user, the system comprising:

• means for moving at least one of the plurality of coins along a coin path;
• means for determining if the coin is an acceptable coin or an unacceptable coin as the coin is moving along the coin path;
• means for accepting the coin when the coin is determined to be an acceptable coin by diverting the coin off of the coin path;
• and
• means for returning the coin to the user when the coin is determined to be an unacceptable coin by allowing the coin to proceed along the coin path.

A system for separating acceptable coins from unacceptable coins in a coin counting machine, the system comprising:

• means for moving a first coin along a coin path;
• means for determining if the first coin is an acceptable coin or an unacceptable coin as the first coin is moving along the coin path;
• means for moving a second coin along the coin path;
• means for measuring a gap between the first coin and the second coin relative to the coin path to determine if the gap is an acceptable gap or an unacceptable gap;
• and
• means for accepting the first coin by causing the first coin to move off of the coin path when the first coin is determined to be an acceptable coin and the measured gap is determined to be an acceptable gap.

A coin counting machine comprising:

• a coin path;
• a coin sensor positioned adjacent to the coin path and configured to discriminate acceptable coins from unacceptable coins;
• and
• a coin mover positioned adjacent to the coin path downstream of the coin sensor, wherein the coin mover is configured to move acceptable coins off of the coin path and allow unacceptable coins to proceed along the coin path.